The redemptive self : stories Americans live by

394 Pages·2013·3.964 MB·English

by  Dan P. McAdams

Th e Redemptive Self
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Th e Redemptive Self
Stories Americans Live By
REVISED AND EXPANDED EDITION
DAN P. MCADAMS
1
1

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
McAdams, Dan P.
Th e redemptive self : stories Americans live by / Dan P. McAdams. — Revised and
Expanded Edition.
pages cm
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978–0–19–996975–3
1. Self-perception—United States. 2. Redemption—Psychology—Miscellanea. 3. Success–
United States—Psychological aspects. I. Title.
BF697.5.S43M33 2013
155.2′5—dc23
2012041764
1 3 5 7 9 8 6 4 2
Printed in the United States of America
on acid-free paper
To the memory of Jeanne M. Foley ( 1922–2001)
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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
I am grateful to the many colleagues, students, friends, and family members
who have made contributions to this book. Jon Adler, Michelle Green, Robert
Hogan, fi ve anonymous (and extraordinarily conscientious) reviewers, and my
wife Rebecca Pallmeyer read the entire manuscript and provided me with many
thoughtful comments and critiques on the fi rst edition. Jim Anderson, Nana
Akua Anyidoho, Susan Arellano, John Barresi, Ed de St. Aubin, Alexandra
Freund, Ruthellen Josselson, Alan Lepp, Dan Lewis, Gina Logan, Mary Anne
Machado, Shadd Maruna, Tom McGovern, Arlin Meyer, Dan Ogilvie, Ken Paller,
Jen Pals Lilgendahl, Jeff erson Singer, and Paul Wink read and commented on
selected chapters. Although they did not always say what I wanted to hear, I
benefi ted greatly from the wise counsel I received from all these astute readers.
Th ank you also to Catharine Carlin and Heather Hartman at Oxford University
Press for editorial advice and support for the fi rst edition, and thanks to
Abby Gross for her support of this new revised and expanded edition of Th e
Redemptive Self .
What was to become the book’s main thesis became clear to me in a wonder-
ful conversation I had with Alan Lepp in the summer of 2000. David Winter,
Jeff Smith, and Carl Smith made invaluable suggestions for books to read on the
topic of redemption and American history. Peter Zeldow suggested the very cool
idea of coding stories from P eople magazine for redemption imagery. Jim Egan
gave me an original Horatio Alger book, along with good ideas about redemption
and the American dream. My mother, Millie McAdams, helped me research the
1968 mayoral election in Gary, Indiana, as background for Chapter 7. Between
tennis sets, Greg Korak made a key suggestion regarding the role of atonement
in redemption. My analysis of generativity among African American adults
was strongly infl uenced by my stimulating collaboration and friendship with
Phil Bowman. Other colleagues who have had a big impact on my thinking
regarding generativity, redemption, and life narratives over the past few years
include the late Bert Cohler, Anne Colby, Bill Damon, Kai Erikson, Gary Gregg,
vii
Acknowledgments
viii
Phil Hammack, Ravenna Helson, Bert Hermans, Tae-Chang Kim, John Kotre,
Amia Lieblich, Jennifer Lodi-Smith, Ron Manheimer, Kate McLean, Monisha
Pasupathi, Bill Peterson, Michael Pratt, Peter Raggatt, Todd Schultz, Mark
Snyder, Avril Th orne, Jerry Wakefi eld, and Barbara Woike.
I owe special thanks to the many students and postdocs who have worked
with me over the past few years on the research projects described in this book.
All of the following have made major contributions to our eff orts to under-
stand generativity, redemption, and life narratives in adulthood: Rayane
Alamuddin, Michelle Albaugh, Jay Azarow, Dana Baerger, Jack Bauer, Reginald
Blount, Keith Cox, Joe Dadabo, Jenn Daniels, Ann Diamond, Amanda Faniff ,
Emily Farber, Kathrin Hanek, Holly Hart, Brady Jones, Avi Kay, Amy Kegley,
Erin Kennedy, Emily Kissel, Miriam Klevan, Martha Lewis, Erika Manczak,
Elizabeth Mansfi eld, Derek McNeil, Nathania Montes, Brad Olson, Allison
Patten, Elizabeth Reyes, April Sakaeda, Janet Shlaes, Josh Swenson, Keegan
Walden, Katie White, Josh Wilt, and Claudia Zapata. I owe enormous gratitude
to the Spencer Foundation for funding my research between 1990 and 1997, to
the Templeton Foundation for a grant to study life virtues in 2010–2012, and
to the Foley Family Foundation for funding a wide range of research and schol-
arship for the past 15 years and establishing the Foley Center for the Study of
Lives at Northwestern University. Without the support of Steve Fisher, Wendy
Bosworth, and the late Jeanne M. Foley of the Foley Family Foundation, this
book could not have been written.
Finally, I must thank again my wife, Rebecca Pallmeyer, who continues to be
the most redemptive force in my life narrative.
CONTENTS
Prologue: How to Be Good in America xi
1. Redemption and the American Soul 1
2. Th e Generative Adult 28
3. Life Stories
53
4. How the Story Begins: Th e Chosen People
83
5. My Good Inner Self: From Emerson to Oprah
100
6. God Bless America
125
7. Black (and White)
148
8. Contaminated Plots, Vicious Circles
182
9. When Redemption Fails
210
10. Obama Versus Bush: Competing Stories of Redemption
237
11. Culture, Narrative, and the Self
268
Epilogue: Final Th oughts and Confessions 289
Notes 295
References 332
Index 355
ix